On May 21st, 2019 it was announced that the musician and writer Chico Buarque de Hollanda had won the 31st edition of Prêmio Camões. The prize jury unanimously decided that the quality of his pieces in different genders contributed to the culture of Portuguese-speaking countries. However, the ceremony that handled the award to the artist only happened in April 2023, almost four years after the announcement.
Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation, the main reason that kept Chico Buarque from receiving such an honor was the refusal of the former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, of signing the documents needed for the award. In 2019, Bolsonaro stated that he had until 2026 to sign the papers. In response to that speech, Buarque posted a picture on his Instagram with the subtitle: “Bolsonaro not signing the certificate is a second Camões prize for me”. With that, the artists Vitor Manuel de Aguiar e Silva, Paulina Chiziane, and Silviano Santiago, who won the following editions could also not receive their prizes.
With the flexibilization of the pandemic’s restrictions and the election of Luís Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) as the new president of Brazil, the certificate was signed and the ceremony was held at the Queluz Palace in Portugal, four years later, with the presence of both presidents from Brazil and Portugal.
During his speech, Chico Buarque remembered the former’s president refusal and said that “it comforts me to remember that the former president had the rare finesse of not getting my Prêmio Camões dirty” and also dedicated his prize to the artist, who was according to him “humiliated and offended these past years of stupidity and obscurantism”.
The Camōes Prize is the most distinguished award in the Portuguese language. It was created from a partnership between the governments of Brazil and Portugal in 1988 to celebrate authors of Portuguese-speaking countries. The prize, named after the Portuguese poet Luís Camões, is worth 100 thousand euros, half subsidized by the Brazilian government and the other half by the Portuguese government. The certificate is also signed by the leaders of both countries. Until today, 14 other Brazilian artists were awarded, among the 34 in total.
Chico Buarque de Hollanda was acknowledged for his notorious pieces in Brazil. His first fiction work was the soap opera Fazenda Modelo, followed by novels, plays, and his important contribution to Brazilian music. At the occasion of the ceremony, both presidents of Brazil and Portugal also gave speeches celebrating his work and the Portuguese-speaking culture.
The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.
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